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Meet JSOM Student Nnamdi Edeoga
Nnamdi Edeoga is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management at the Naveen Jindal School of Management and is expected to graduate in May 2025.
Edeoga plays forward on the UT Dallas men’s basketball team and is a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Coming to UT Dallas
Edeoga is originally from Southwest Florida and had not heard of UT Dallas before Coach Fleming reached out to him after seeing him play basketball at an AAU tournament.
“I was getting pretty heavily recruited. I had I think 6 or 7 offers out of high school,” he said. “As soon as I came to UTD and I saw how advanced the infrastructure was, I read about how good our business school was. The school aspect of UTD alongside the family culture of the basketball team is what made me choose here over everything else.”
Life on Campus at JSOM
Edeoga trains daily, studies hard, and keeps up with friends on campus every week.
“I’ll usually wake up, and depending on what time I wake up, I’ll either go to the training room and get some treatment beforehand, or just wake up and go to class if I wake up later,” he said. “Go straight from class typically to practice and then weights. After weights, I’ll go back to my apartment, maybe take a nap, relax a little, then go to the library and get my work done. Once my work is done, relax with my friends because having a social life is extremely important to me.”
Edeoga makes room in his busy schedule for the things he values, including making connections with peers.
“I’ve always been a hard worker, both on and off the court, but being able to balance and know that your life is more than just work and having that social aspect is very important to me as well,” he said.
Overcoming Obstacles and Finding Success
Edeoga’s initial plan upon entering school was to eventually become a doctor, but after some self-reflection following a few challenging courses, he decided to change his path.
“Now I’m on the business track for healthcare administration,” he said. “I’m very proud of myself for that, knowing that this wasn’t for me, but I found something that is more my niche and having the initiative to do all that can be done to be successful in that field.”
Today, Edeoga is thrilled to be in the fast-track program for healthcare administration.
“Being able to get that opportunity has been huge for me and has led to a lot of open doors,” he said. “Even this internship right now, them knowing that I’m on a master’s fast track put me on their radar.”
Mentorship Along the Way
Edeoga has been thankful for the guidance of faculty like Kristin Tesmer, a professor of practice in the Jindal School’s Organizations, Strategy and International Management Area and director of the bachelor’s in healthcare management program. He has also appreciated support from Amye Broyles, program manager for the bachelor’s in healthcare management program, and Keith Thurgood, the director of the master’s in healthcare leadership and management program.
Edeoga names Daniel Karnuta as one of his most influential professors at JSOM.
“I loved all his lectures,” he said. “I feel like I learned a lot and honestly it prepared me a lot for this internship because they ask me a lot of questions and ask for my opinion on things that I learned in his class. I’m very grateful for him teaching all this stuff that I know today.”
Advice for Fellow Students
Edeoga emphasized the value of making connections in college.
“It’s important, of course, to learn,” he said. “But I would say networking and the people you meet is the most important thing you can get out of college. If you go to school and the only thing that you get out of it is just your degree, then you’re approaching it the complete wrong way. You meet a lot of very important people in college and they’re willing to help you. Just make the time and effort to make a connection.”
He also highlighted the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity.
“If you feel lost or you feel like you’re just stressed, the main thing is don’t quit,” he said. “If you just keep going, and keep working hard and meeting the right people and having a good support system around you, then nothing is impossible and no bad day lasts forever. You just gotta keep working and then a good day will eventually come.”
Looking to the Future
Edeoga’s current career aspirations lie in healthcare administration, and he has completed two internships, one at a physical therapy office and one at Advocate Healthcare in Chicago, Ill. He is currently doing a third internship at HCA Fawcett Memorial Hospital in Port Charlotte, Fla. for summer 2024.
“I’m interning under the CEO Michael Ehrat as an administrative intern,” he said. “I’m getting an overview of what it’s like being in an administrative role at a hospital. My duties include analyzing data, creating reports, sitting in on meetings and shadowing different hospital departments.”
Ultimately, Edeoga hopes to step into a CEO role himself, and right now he is working hard both finishing school and building his professional experience in the field.
